Effects of functional task exercise on everyday problem-solving ability and functional status in older adults with mild cognitive impairment—a randomised controlled trial

• Published in: Age and ageing Vol. 51; no. 1
• Main Authors: Law, Lawla L F, Mok, Vincent C T, Yau, Matthew K S, Fong, Kenneth N K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 06.01.2022; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Ability; Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Cognition; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - diagnosis; Cognitive Dysfunction - therapy; Cognitive impairment; Cognitive skills training; Community centers; Executive control; Executive function; Exercise; Exercise Therapy; Fitness training programs; Fluency; Functional Status; Health surveys; Humans; Intervention; Neurobehavioral functioning; Older people; Physical training; Problem solving; Single-Blind Method; Training; Well being; functional task exercise; mild cognitive impairment; older people; combined training; everyday problem-solving; quality of life
• ISSN: 0002-0729; 1468-2834; 1468-2834
• DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afab210

Abstract Objective To investigate the effect of functional task exercise on everyday problem-solving ability and functional status in older adults with mild cognitive impairment compared to single exercise or cognitive training and no treatment control. Design A single-blind, four-arm randomised controlled trial. Setting Out-patient clinic and community centre. Participants Older adults with mild cognitive impairment aged ≥60 living in community. Methods Participants (N = 145) were randomised to 8-week functional task exercise (N = 34), cognitive training (N = 38), exercise training (N = 37), or wait-list control (N = 36) group. Outcomes measures: Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination, Category Verbal Fluency Test, Trail Making Test, Problems in Everyday Living Test, Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale; Chair stand test, Berg Balance Scale, and Short Form-12 Health Survey were conducted at baseline, post-intervention and 5-months follow-up. Results Post-intervention results of ANCOVA revealed cognitive training improved everyday problem-solving (P = 0.012) and exercise training improved functional status (P = 0.003) compared to wait-list control. Functional task exercise group demonstrated highest improvement compared to cognitive training, exercise training and wait-list control groups in executive function (P range = 0.003–0.018); everyday problem-solving (P < 0.001); functional status (P range = <.001–0.002); and physical performance (P = 0.008) at post-intervention, with all remained significant at 5-month follow-up, and further significant improvement in mental well-being (P = 0.043). Conclusions Functional task exercise could be an effective intervention to improve everyday problem-solving ability and functional status in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The findings support combining cognitive and exercise intervention may give additive and even synergistic effects.